


Speechless

by berryboys



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 16:15:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7581136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/berryboys/pseuds/berryboys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sicheng is terrible at speaking Korean, so when Taeil puts some distance between them, Sicheng supposes he must have said something really bad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Speechless

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [NCTprompts_II](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/NCTprompts_II) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
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> [Theme: language barrier] Sicheng doesn't understand why Taeil suddenly acts cold with him after he said he slept with Yuta last night.
> 
> Betaed by [koshitsu_kamira](http://archiveofourown.org/users/koshitsu_kamira)!
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> [Russian translation](https://ficbook.net/readfic/4645109)

At first, Sicheng doesn’t think that sharing a room with Taeil is the best idea ever.

He has spent just a couple of months in Korea, brought by fate and, to be honest, his best friend. Taeyong insisted that for his gap year he should try living in another culture, another country, because that’s what you’re supposed to do during a gap year. However, since the first second he set foot in Korea, Sicheng knew he wouldn’t be travelling the world further.

And well, he intends to learn the language. But the thing is that Taeyong’s friends are from different parts of the globe, and most of them don’t speak Korean that well either. As soon as they have realized his lack of knowledge, Sicheng finds himself talking in English with Ten, Yuta, Youngho and Mark. And although Taeyong can’t speak English, he’s stubborn about improving his Chinese, whining every time Sicheng dares to try otherwise. That means that the only person who Sicheng can practice with is Taeil.

Sweet, pretty Taeil.

 

 

 

 

 

First impressions aren’t always accurate, and Taeil happens to be one of the most extreme cases Sicheng has run into.

Taeil has a small frame, an innocent smile and an awkward way of walking. His voice emits tinges of shyness, and his eyes wander around if Sicheng looks into them, as though he’s incapable of holding someone’s gaze. However, that cover of reservation crumbles within days, maybe because it wasn’t real to begin with. And what Sicheng discovers is a guy that talks nonstop at night until they fall asleep, not minding that Sicheng can’t understand even half of what he’s saying.

Truth to be told, not being able to communicate as much as he would like is both a blessing and a curse. For example, when Taeil steps out of the shower with only a tiny towel around his waist, Sicheng is lucky to not know how to say ‘holy shit’ in Korean.

“Holy shit,” he says, however, to Yuta minutes later, when he has managed to escape the room without embarrassing himself. “Taeil is hot.”

Everyone is having breakfast around the table, and Sicheng occupies the seat next to Ten, who throws him an amused, understanding look. No one is even a bit surprised over his comment, which must mean they all agree. Except for Taeyong, of course, because his eyes are examining each one of them as to decipher what they’re talking about.

Yuta is the only one who nods, face blank. “Oh, you saw him naked.”

“Half-naked,” Sicheng corrects him. He props his chin on his hand, too overwhelmed to feel hunger or thirst, or to care about not skipping the breakfast. The image of Taeil’s softly defined abs, the curve of his back and his smooth skin isn’t easy to forget. With a sigh, Sicheng continues, “I wish he had been naked.”

 

 

 

 

Despite his inability to translate the things Taeil relates at night, Sicheng knows his roommate is much more than just a pretty face and a hot, _really_ hot body. He can tell because, even though his words end in an useless receptor, Taeil still makes the effort of talking to him just so that he gets used to the cadence of the language. After the first weeks sharing a room, Sicheng recognizes it’s a good strategy.

However, as the trust grows between them, Sicheng starts distinguishing some quirks that he hasn’t expected. Even though he finds them cute, or interesting, depending on the level of weirdness Taeil displays, there’s an incident that he wouldn’t have imagined.

Sicheng is a heavy sleeper, so he usually doesn’t wake up when Taeil goes to the bathroom or mumbles nonsense in his sleep. But there’s no way he isn’t disturbed if someone jumps on him _, literally jumps on him_ in the middle of the night. Thus, when Taeil lands on his stomach, thighs on both sides of Sicheng’s body, the boy shrieks so loud that his throat burns.

The response to his cry for help is a mischievous laugh and Taeil urging him, “Fast! Count to twenty in Korean!”

Maybe Sicheng only understands him because his survival instinct is on. But there are too many distractions for him to answer properly. First and most important, he’s in direct contact with Taeil, and his thighs are encasing him too hard, so Sicheng has to channel all his energy to not get aroused right now. There isn’t blood in his brain – the blood is going somewhere else - and it’s too difficult to utter a single logical word.

Taeil keeps staring at him, expression going from enjoyment to indignation when Sicheng remains quiet. He leans down, and it’s then when he can finally make out Taeil’s features, eyes shining with an emotion that sends chills down his spine.

Taeil whispers, “Come on, make your hyung happy.”

Sicheng counts to twenty in a record time.

 

 

 

 

Rationally enough, Sicheng develops the fear of being woken up again in the middle of the night. He isn’t sure if it’s fear or an inner wish, though, because the thought of Taeil on top of him isn’t all that awful. He has even practiced in case Taeil dares to do something similar again, but aside from never mentioning the episode, he doesn’t seem disposed to repeat it.

“I’m suffering,” Sicheng announces, plopping down next to Yuta on his bed. All the boys except Yuta and Ten have gone out, therefore Sicheng can whine in peace without being interrogated by Taeyong. “How do I hit on someone if I don’t even know which words to use?”

While Yuta tries to push him out of the bed, complaining about how Sicheng doesn’t respect personal space, Ten grants him a quick glance, looking up from his notes. He doesn’t seem certain of Sicheng’s intentions, as though he suspects it’s a joke. “You tell him: you, me, fuck. That’s it.”

“Why do you refuse to teach me?” Sicheng releases a dramatic sigh, elbowing Yuta in the ribs. “I don’t want Taeil to think I like him only for his body.”

“But you like his body,” Ten points out.

“This is a path you have to walk alone,” Yuta solemnly says, though his grin shows that he’s doing it to annoy Sicheng on purpose. “We’re not close enough for me to help you to bone my friend.”

 

 

 

 

The next time Taeil disturbs his sleep, he is more cautious about it. To be honest, Sicheng isn’t asleep, and the main reason is that he’s conscious Taeil is awake too. They have stopped their conversation almost one hour ago, Taeil’s voice fading, but the rhythm of his breathing is still shallow, indicating he hasn’t drifted into slumber.

Sicheng hears the shuffling of sheets first, and then the delicate sound of Taeil’s light steps. When he slips into his bed, this time under the covers, Sicheng isn’t that surprised. He’s dead nervous, nevertheless.

Even if he knew what to say, he wouldn’t be able to say in a way Taeil would understand. So he waits for the older to take the initiative, although he doesn’t give signals of going to do it.

Then, softly, Taeil asks, “Do you miss home?”

This is why Sicheng can’t grasp Taeil as a whole. He’s erratic, certainly unpredictable. The last thing Sicheng was prepared to think about was home, and of course Taeil had to be the one to bring up the topic.

“No,” Sicheng replies at last, thoughtful. He moves around in bed, trying to face his roommate. Much to his surprise, Taeil’s hand leads him in the darkness until he finds the rest of him. Sicheng is sure there hasn’t ever been so little space between them. “Do you?”

Taeil laughs at that, and it’s a sweet and comforting emotion. Sicheng wouldn’t miss home when he has all he needs here, because apart from Taeyong, now he has someone who makes him smile in the morning with a simple good morning, and at night with a simple goodnight.

 “This is my home, silly,” Taeil reminds him, cheerful. “But I’m glad you’re fine here.”

 

 

 

 

“What are you doing here again?” 

When Yuta steps into his own bedroom, he isn’t that shocked by running into Sicheng occupying his bed. Sprawled like he has fallen from the fourth floor, he immediately makes puppy eyes at him, and that’s enough for Yuta to know what he’s planning. Ten is visiting his parents, so there’s a free bed in the room for him. 

“Taeil is studying. And well, it isn’t like I’m going to bother him but dude, he looks _so pretty_ when he’s studying,” he explains dreamily, staring at the ceiling as though he could project Taeil’s face on it. Then, very serious, he adds, “I had to get out.” 

It’s evident that Sicheng is a goner. It amuses Yuta because he has never come across someone who is so infatuated with Taeil, especially when Taeil is doing absolutely nothing to provoke such a reaction. He’s just existing, but Sicheng seems to have a hard time anyway. 

“Are you into smart guys?” Yuta jeers, sitting on Ten’s bed instead. He doesn’t understand why Sicheng has a fixation with his bed, but he’s starting to suspect he’s the type to obsess over things and _people._ “I mean, I guess you have to balance your lack of intelligence somehow.” 

Sicheng hugs the pillow, wearing a neutral expression to show that he doesn’t mind the joke. “How do I say in Korean ‘I already knew I’m gay, but I didn’t know I was _this_ gay until I met you?’”

 

 

 

 

Given that Yuta sets the alarm too late, Sicheng misses the chance to wish Taeil good luck for his exam. He spends the whole morning whimpering about it, refuses to pay attention to the textbook because he can’t focus, and waits for Taeil like a dog would wait for his master.

It’s lame, he’s aware of it, and he doesn’t care. 

However, at noon he receives a message from Taeil, and he runs around the house until he finds someone who can translate it for him (he tries with Taeyong first, but his friends insists on translating it into Chinese. Taeyong is so bad at it that Sicheng feels like throwing the phone at his head). When he finally finds Youngho, the other teases him for the longest five minutes of his life. 

“It says _I got a boyfriend, Sicheng, I can’t let you suck me off_ ,” he says at first, and then bursts into laughter by himself under Sicheng’s glare. “Or maybe, _you’re pretty but I actually like girls_ , I’m not sure.” 

After managing to convince Youngho of behaving like a decent person, Sicheng answers Taeil that yes, they can meet to have lunch together.

 

 

 

 

That’s the breaking point. 

They eat alone, despite the difficulty to communicate and the fact that Sicheng has to point at the menu to order what he wants. Sicheng can’t tell what he does wrong, but something changes throughout the lunch. In the beginning, Taeil acts like he always does, pokes fun at him and, every time Sicheng makes a mistake, mutters under his breath that Sicheng is cute. 

But by the time they leave the restaurant, Taeil isn’t the same person anymore. He becomes quiet, almost somber, and when Sicheng attempts to talk to him, or asks the name of an object, Taeil gives him dry, short replies. When he tries to hook their arms, like they have been doing lately while they are outside, Taeil awkwardly moves away. It’s extremely odd, because this is the first time he’s witnessing Taeil being borderline harsh, and he’s afraid of looking at him and not seeing the usual warmness that lives in Taeil’s eyes. 

Sicheng admits he’s way too taken aback to pry in his conduct. Yet a part of him is troubled, paranoid at the idea of having messed up the good relationship he had with Taeil. Or it might not be his fault at all. No one is perfect, right? Perhaps Taeil’s flaw is that he’s plain crazy. 

 

 

 

 

It takes Sicheng two whole days of uncomfortable silence and a cold, ignoring attitude from Taeil to break down. Being pitiful around Taeil doesn’t work. Bringing him breakfast to the room doesn’t work. And then there’s the option of apologizing, but how would that be effective if Sicheng doesn’t know what to apologize for? He has watched plenty of TV shows in which the character just gets angrier because the other person is incapable of realizing what they did wrong. 

Of course, his last option is resorting to Ten and Yuta, since he has learnt his lesson with Youngho, Mark looks too innocent to hear Sicheng’s thoughts, and Taeyong keeps ignoring him if he talks in English. 

“What did you do?” Ten questions him as soon as he explains the situation, narrowing his eyes at Sicheng. This time, he’s too moody to care about how cozy Yuta’s bed is, so he sits on the desk, right on top of Ten’s papers. “You must have said something.” 

“I said lots of things though? But nothing hurtful?” 

“I bet you probably insulted his mother or something,” Yuta unhelpfully adds. 

Predicting a headache, Sicheng sighs and rubs his temple. For some reason, Ten and Yuta have become indifferent to his pleading charms, so he’s aware that his next petition is going to be ignored, “Please ask him for me?”

 

 

 

 

Sicheng doesn’t want to go back to the room alone. Especially after being kicked out of his friends’ room for being a nuisance and for acting like a child who can’t solve his problems by himself. 

Sicheng hates having friends, they are utterly useless. 

It’s not that he’s not mature enough to confront this. With another person that wasn’t Taeil, Sicheng would have already made them spill whatever problem they had. But Sicheng is worried about both upsetting Taeil further and turning the situation into a permanent cold relationship. He needs the bright, illogical and kind Taeil back, because seeing Taeil happy makes him happy too. Thus, after spending ten long minutes in the hall and receiving some jeer from Youngho when he passes by, Sicheng pushes the door open. 

Judging how fast Taeil gets up from his bed, nearly entangling himself with his oversized pajama, he’s waiting for him. And Sicheng is about to smile over it, except because Taeil blurts out, “I think we should change rooms. I’m not comfortable with you.” 

The world moves around in slow motion as he tries to process the sentence. When he finally translates the words in his head, Sicheng stares at Taeil, sure that he misunderstood that statement. He’s so not going to change rooms. Not without a reason, at least, and a lot of fighting. 

“Hyung?” 

Taeil seems shocked for a second, as though he isn’t ready to deal with Sicheng’s reaction. The boy himself knows he has the ability to be adorable when he’s confused, but this time he’s not doing it on purpose. He’s beyond confused, pride and feelings hurt. 

“I mean, you and Yuta should be in the same room?” Taeil murmurs, unsure. He casts his gaze down, timid, and Sicheng wishes he would be brave enough to approach him and plant a kiss on his lips. “I don’t want to get between you two.” 

Again, there’s a period of time in which Sicheng forces himself to revise all his Korean knowledge. He should be used to hear Taeil’s voice, but he might have been paying more attention to his pretty face than to his speech all this time. He can’t deny the truth. 

“Yuta what? Why Yuta?” 

Now it’s Taeil’s turn to look disconcerted, and he inspects Sicheng’s eyes intently, like he’s wondering if Sicheng is playing with him. In response, Sicheng only pouts at him. 

“Because you slept with him?” 

Sicheng nods. “Yeah? And?” 

“Aren’t you dating?” Taeil carefully asks. At the blank expression coming from Sicheng, he deduces he has to rephrase it. Biting his lip, red in the face, he continues, “Are you only having sex?” 

Sicheng gasps so loud that it ends as a choked shriek. Everything clicks in that moment, pieces of the puzzle coming together, and it implies a lot more than Sicheng imagines. He might have been spending too much time with Yuta and that, plus the fact that he had no idea that _sleeping with someone_ meant that, has led Taeil to make assumptions. 

“Sex? Hyung! No!” he exclaims, gesticulating in panic. Taeil thinks he slept with Yuta? When has he drooled over Yuta, talked about Yuta, even thought of Yuta? 

Instead of believing him right away, Taeil opens and closes his mouth several times, speechless. He sits back on the bed, kneading his own thighs in nervousness, and looks up at Sicheng with an accusatory gaze. “What do you mean no? You told me in the restaurant you slept with him.” 

Sicheng isn’t certain of how he should explain it so, exasperated, he tries with, “Ten, Yuta and me! We _shared_ the room.” 

While the comprehension reflects on Taeil’s face, a thousand thoughts spin inside Sicheng’s head, realizing why Taeil has been upset. And it’s not like Sicheng is expecting him to throw a party over the fact that he and Yuta didn’t have sex, but given the implications of his past irritation, for sure he’s expecting something more. 

However, Taeil stays on the bed, staring at the floor in embarrassment. It’s the first time he seems this inhibited, and Sicheng suspects that Taeil is pondering over his own shameful behavior during the last days. Reckoning he must be remorseful as well, Sicheng decides to take the next step. 

He whispers, “Hyung. Do you like me?” 

Quick, Taeil’s eyes flick towards him, a slight pout on his lips that serves as a reply. The way Taeil stares at him is proof enough that he’s going to learn the word _kiss_ right now. 

Taeil smiles. “Yes.”

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to say this is my shortest fic in years... but it's probably my shortest fic ever. It has been challenging for me lol, but winil needs a lot of love ^^  
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/renjucas)


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